Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1887-10-06
A1irgiuia frre gress.
Letter from the Indian Territory.
DEAR FREE PRESS

LetterJrOm the IRdt"t AeFfttVfV'
DEAR FREE Press;
You come TO me this morning bringing
me tidings Of the dOings Of the friends l5OO
miles away and | will tell them through
Won in return something of this, TO me,
strange land and people. We are really IN
the prairie-not tree that has not been
planted, not a'stone; pale brown soil that
hints of mari, and sticks like grease when
wet and makes a dusty miller Of you when
dry. Away of on the horizon my eyes re-
fresh themselves with line of mountains
As blue as our own Blue Ridge. OF to the
left is a field of cotton, bright green now.
The whole view so wide, so Hat TO eyes useo
To rocks. hills and mountains! l took my
first ride Yesterday dashlng along at
q reckless rate over 8 road with never a
stone or hill and the privilege OF making
a new track for ourselves whenever the one
we were in did not please US. We are m
the Creek reservation and as they are the
poorest of the tribes, while at the same time
they offer very few farms to settlers, the
country is not so we'll improved as that be-
longing to the CherOkees. Ii white man
marries q Cherokee he is entitled 70 the
same rights as any member OF the tribe
can take up land, vote, hold office, &c, but
if he marrios a Creek he only holds land IN
her name and has no rights The effect OF
this has been that the Cherokees are more
enterprising, richer, and in many ways fur
thcr advanced in civilization than the other
tribe. The government has lavlshed money
in the Indian schools and provided some
excellent teachers, but like all government
work politics intelfercs, and often man Is
placed as director of the whole, who SIM
ply the tool of . party without education
or interest in the subject SO that the work
accomplished is superficial We find the
colleges under control of the mission boards
greatly preferred on this account although
the expenses OF the pupils are greater. Al
MuscOgee We have now three of the,e-the
Southern Methodist. Presbyterian and Bap-
fist. / give them in the order of their or
ganizati0n The last IS three miles out, the
Others in the town. Nu,cogee is "a scatter
ing town, right down iu the prairie with %
few good houses ai.i Sc great dDt, 90 bu>i-
M So. There is much mcrc money ln circu-
lation here tho Us yet the people do not
live a well IL q white man wants ousi-
ness stand hc rents land from thc Greek
who hold, DO. 200 So m 1859 dollars per wear.
erects Dob, building and occupic, ituuuI abe
rent amounts 10 the value pt tIa same,
when he Turns 10 over tD che owner 0t tac
land, or reuews his lease Last March the
hear, of the town containing all ot the bus
iness houses and some dwellings was rurue'.
-four streets. among other buildings five
hotelS-in tine space 90 v0 hours, the own
ers saving very lt-ie some oi them just
abandoned fho lois and went eI-rvnrr. but
many contracted at once for u,w house
which are going up ulV. The result ot tie
fire vii. De beneficial Oh che town, Ton the
new bui'dirg, are iiue large oacs oft brick
facing ou streets regularly laid out, instead
of The old ones of frame facing along The
Il. t. track Some say we shall even have
pavements then-a thing unknown at pres
ent Here i'm the college we have some
eighty or more girls and BOYS, under the
care Of five teachers Another 60 come
soon and nearly one BALI of the pupils yet
TO come for it is still, very warm here and
some other causes have delayed the chill
dren. 10 IS % field offering great opportuni-
ty for Christian and educational work and
good material o. work upon. The Indians
are intelligent. willing to learn and not
more difficult 90 control than as many girls
I'm any other COLLEGE Many OF them are
Christians They are about h medium
height. strongly built have generally black
hair and dark compilations, bat some oi
them are blends with blue ewes. haven't
told YOU 81 an thar strikes me as novel and
interesting, but / vii, write agsin when l
have seen more of the country and its pco-
pie.